Graham, Foles and more: Early winners and losers from NFL trades | USA TODAY Sports Wire
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Winners:
New Orleans Saints
Losing Jimmy Graham might look like a step backwards for the Saints offense, but it could end up being a net positive. Drew Brees is at his most effective when he has to climb the pocket and drive the ball; but with mediocre interior line play, there was no room to do so last season. Acquiring Unger should remedy that. The Saints also picked up a first round pick in the deal, which can be used to find Graham’s replacement. Michigan’s Devin Funchess, a talented receiver who could make the switch to tight end, could be that guy.
Losers:
Jimmy Graham
Graham just went from a future Hall of Fame quarterback and one of the most creative offensive minds to a run-first team with a quarterback who operates best out of structure. There will be games where Graham doesn’t get the targets he’s used to, and that will take a toll on his stats.
Wait and See:
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks landed the best player in the Graham-Unger deal but took on a lot of risk to do so. Graham has been constantly injured and may be a bad fit in Seattle’s locker room given his past feuds with Michael Bennett and Bruce Irvin. He also comes with a large cap hit and will cost the Seahawks a first round pick. The last time the Seahawks made a similar move, it didn’t work out so great. Just ask Percy Harvin.
Drew Brees
Brees should have a cleaner pocket to work with in 2015, which should result in marked improvement for the Saints downfield passing game. Brees missed on a lot of deep opportunities because of poor protection, but many of those downfield shots were directed at Graham, who is now gone. But don’t forget: The Saints were lighting up scoreboards well before Graham arrived in New Orleans. |
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